Conan's Valentine
by CoolKid94
Summary: On Valentine's Day, Miss Kobayashi pairs up the class, and Conan gets Ayumi! Will love spark? Eventual ConanXAyumi
1. Paired Up

This story is my first attempt at a ConanXAyumi romance, so if it sucks, that's why. It'll likely be over 10 chapters long. If you do not appreciate ConanXAyumi, there _will_ be ShinRan and one-side CoAi, since canonically they'd have a better chance than Ayumi, and I had to get rid of them, so if you hate those pairings, you'll just have to live through it to get to the good stuff. If you hate ConanXAyumi, though, please hit the back button so you won't have to suffer.

To everyone still reading, please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or any of its characters. The only person I own is Ran's eventual boyfriend, who will show up in later chapters.

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><p>Chapter One<p>

Conan was walking to school one day with his friends. Valentine's Day was coming up, and everyone was excited. After all, unlike in Western countries, in Japan, the only person to give you chocolate was your lover, and almost no one else, besides close friends. Everyone was looking forward to it.

Not Conan, though. He knew that Ran could never give him any chocolate, because he was not Kudo Shinichi, his original form. He was now Edogawa Conan, 8 year old kid genius stuck in the 2nd grade at Teitan Elementary. The only chocolate he could hope for was chocolate from lovesick little girls, and it turned his stomach.

Genta was talking to himself about food, but the talk about Valentine's had made Mitsuhiko glance at Ai in what he thought was a secret way, and Ayumi to do the same to him. If Conan had actually _been_ eight, he might not have noticed, but as a teenager, he of course noticed it. And it made him sad. After all, it was only puppy love, and would never come out to make a difference.

Class that day was spent writing wishes that the kids wanted to happen for Valentine's Day. Conan thought about it and simply wrote:

_I wish I could just tell the truth for once. I wish I didn't have to hide from __her_. Edogawa Conan

Then he put it up along with everyone else's, hoping no one would be fool enough to read it. Even if they did, he could just play dumb, as it was vague enough to not create suspicion.

Then the teacher did something _very_ unusual. She partnered up one guy and one girl, and told them that they _had_ to get whoever they partnered with chocolate and a card, though they could get some for other people if they wanted.

Conan hoped he'd get Ai, since he knew they'd both get enough chocolate from admirers that neither of them would have to do any work. They could just pick one out from the pile and say the other person gave it to them.

The teacher started rattling down names. She then said, "Genta-kun will be with Maria-chan. Mitsuhiko-kun will be with Haibara-san. Conan-kun will be with Ayumi-chan." She continued to call out names, and Conan was left sitting dumbstruck at his desk.

After school, Conan was walking by himself, thinking, when he was suddenly interrupted.

"Conan-kun!" It was Ayumi, of course.

"Ayumi-chan! What's up?"

"Conan-kun, since we have to give each other chocolate tomorrow, I'm a bit curious about what you might want. Do you want store-bought or homemade?"

"If you _can_ do homemade, then you can go ahead and do it. But if it's too much of a hassle, you can go ahead and buy some. I won't mind."

"Great, Conan-kun!"

"What about you, Ayumi-chan?"

"You can't cook, so I guess I'll take store bought. But no pawning any off of Ran-neechan, or you'll be sorry!" She said the last part in a teasing tone of voice, and purposely didn't specify what might happen.

Conan was suddenly _very_ wary. After all, Ayumi had been taking karate lessons from Ran for half a year and he didn't know what she could do exactly. So he said, "Alright, then Ayumi-chan. I'll see you tomorrow!"

Conan turned and walked away. He went to a store that sold very nice chocolates, and bought two. He bought one to give to Ran as Shinichi, and one to give to Ayumi tomorrow. After all, Ayumi had had a point, he _couldn't_ make any himself. He bought a third one, too, though it wasn't nearly as nice, for a just-in-case situation. He took them home and hid them in his room so they wouldn't either melt or be found by Ran.

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><p>This is just the start of this story. If it seems typical for a ConanXAyumi, I can assure you it won't stay that way for long.<p>

Next up, the chocolates get exchanged! Will love spark? And why did Conan get a third chocolate here? Who could it be for? Please, read and review this chapter, and give me ideas for what you want to happen!


	2. Sharing Chocolate

This chapter is short, too, but I'm still setting everything up. I also wish to amend my earlier statement by now saying that this story will likely have at least 15 chapters.

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><p>Chapter Two<p>

The next day, Conan left one of his chocolates in the mail slot of the Detective Agency on his way out, leaving it there for Ran to find later when she checked the mail.

Conan arrived at school by himself, and was surprised to find no chocolate at all on his desk. Considering what had happened before, this was practically impossible. Then he saw the note on the board, and it all made sense.

_Everyone is to hold onto their gifts until later. Anyone caught violating this will have all their candy confiscated. _

_Sensei_

Conan simply sat down, ignoring everyone. Ten minutes later, the teacher walked in and started class. At fifteen minutes before lunch, she rose and told everyone to start giving people their gifts.

There was instant uproar. Everyone got up and put their chocolate on the recipient's desk. Conan put his on Ayumi's, and the note on it said:

_For Ayumi – my best friend. Happy Valentine's. _

_Edogawa Conan_

Conan went back to his seat, and started organizing all the chocolate he got into categories, so that he could easily transport it home, where he could eat it in peace over the coming days.

Ayumi was one of the last to give him chocolate. She'd purposely held off on his until last, so she'd be sure he'd be at his desk, and there wouldn't be anyone else around.

"Uh, Conan-kun?" she asked shyly, after approaching him.

Conan looked up and said, "Oh, Ayumi-chan! Have you finished passing out chocolate yet?"

"Actually, you're my last one, Conan-kun."

She gave him the chocolate, and he took it. He studied it curiously. It was obviously homemade, but it was in a homemade box, too, and looked professionally done. He was curious, so he asked, "Ayumi-chan, did you make this yourself? It looks great!"

"Actually, I did! I've been practicing for a while, and I did the whole thing myself. I made the chocolate, and I made the box, too!"

Conan was surprised by the effort she'd put into it. He was tempted to taste it right there and then, but he noticed the time and decided against it.

He realized he'd have to make up for his store-bought chocolate, so he said, "Well, Ayumi-chan, I already put your chocolate on your desk. Will you sit near me for lunch so we can compare them?" He ignored Ai's curious gaze from the desk beside him.

Ayumi was very happy at Conan's invitation. "Of course I will, Conan-kun!" She bounded off to her desk to search through her pile for it.

At lunch, Ayumi sat next to Conan, just as she'd promised. They each held the other's chocolate. Ayumi was more anxious, so she said, "Conan-kun, will you try the first bite? Please?" She was delighted when he took a bite a minute later and his face lit up.

"This is awesome! Try mine, too!"

He was a little nervous too, when Ayumi opened it up and took a hesitant bite. But he was delighted when she said, "It's delicious, Conan-kun! Thank you!"

She gave him a hesitant kiss on the cheek, and didn't notice Mitsuhiko and Genta glaring daggers at Conan, though _he_ noticed. Weirdly, he turned bright red when she kissed him, and didn't really mind it as much. They then polished off the rather sizeable (for kids) portions of chocolate. They were too full to eat anything else, so they sat in perfect contentment until lunch was over.

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><p>Now Conan's acting OOC, though I'll put the reason for it in a later chapter. ConanXAyumi fans probably don't care, though.<p>

Next chapter, Ran comes home with another guy's chocolate, Conan acts weird, and CoAi? (mild) What a crazy story! Look forward to it, and keep in mind this _will_ eventually migrate into ConanXAyumi.


	3. Ran and Ai's Chocolate

The end of Valentine's Day. Conan gives Ran his chocolate from Shinichi, but he acts OOC again. How so? Find out!

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><p>Chapter Three<p>

Throughout that afternoon, Conan, bored, was thinking about what happened at lunch. 'I blushed! She kissed me like she always does and I blushed! Maybe it's just because she reminds me of Ran when she was her age.' Conan didn't notice that he was staring dreamily at her the whole time, though Ai noticed. She resolved to tease him about it later.

After school, Ai caught up with Conan while walking home. He seemed to be thinking about something.

"Kudo-kun?"

"Hmm? Oh, hey Haibara."

"You seem distracted Kudo-kun. Did something happen?"

"Not much. I was just thinking about something that was bugging me."

"Ayumi-chan?"

"No. Why would I be thinking about her? She's too open to be much of a mystery. I'm thinking about something else, something important." The truth was he really _was_ thinking about Ayumi, but he didn't need Ai's teasing, and so had denied it. He didn't love her or anything, so he hadn't blushed, and he knew he'd fooled her.

He then noticed that Ai seemed to be pondering something, so he asked, "Is something wrong Haibara? Now _you_ seem the one distracted." He grinned cheekily.

"Actually, I made an extra chocolate last night, but I never used it, so I'm debating whether to give it to Hakase or not." She didn't say she was debating about whether to give it to _him_ and not Hakase.

"Better not. If you give him one, then you'll just get his hopes up. He'll want more and more, and he'll completely ruin his diet."

They both laughed at that, since the strict diet Ai had him on wasn't working well, and it made him grumpy a lot.

"In that case, Kudo-kun," Conan failed to notice that Ai's face had taken on a pinkish tint, "could you take it, then? If you take it, then Hakase will never know it was around, and he won't get mad."

"Of course I'll take it, Haibara. I'll always help you out, and it's always nice to get gifts from your friends."

Ai gave him the chocolate, which he pocketed. Then he realized that in such a situation he'd better give her one, too.

"Uh, Haibara?"

"Yes, Kudo-kun?"

"I can't really take this without giving you something, too, so, would you like this?" He held out the third chocolate he'd bought. At her skeptical look, he quickly said, "Don't worry, I bought this myself. I can guarantee it's not a re-gift."

Ai's expression changed, and she accepted the chocolate and put it away.

"…Thanks, Kudo-kun."

With that, she headed off for Hakase's house, and Conan went back to the Detective Agency.

Upon arriving, Conan saw that Ran hadn't gotten the mail yet, so she was probably staying late at school. Conan took it out, and saw that his chocolate from earlier was still there. He took all the mail inside, and left it in the living room on the third floor for Ran to go through later.

Thinking about it, Conan had a sudden spark of inspiration, and took off his original tag. He then wrote something else:

_Ran, _

_Happy Valentine's Day. Inside you'll find payment for the excellent chocolate I took from you last year. I hope you'll find it satisfactory. _

_Your best friend, _

_Shinichi_

Conan reattached the tag, and then he pulled out a book to read until Ran got home. He didn't have to wait long. Ran soon entered, humming cheerfully.

Conan was surprised Ran was so happy. After all, her love interest was nowhere around. Then he noticed she was carrying half-eaten chocolate. Putting it off as something from a close friend, and NOT a boy, he walked up to her.

"Ran-neechan." She hadn't noticed him, and jumped accordingly.

"Oh, Conan-kun! You scared me! How was school?"

"Pretty OK, I guess. I got a ton of chocolate. Did you get chocolate?" He was determined to find out where her chocolate had come from.

"I got a little, I guess. Most of the guys stayed away from me, though, so I didn't get as much as you probably did from girls."

"You got a package in the mail, today. Here it is." He held out the package that had his chocolate. Ran took it and, reading the label, looked sad.

"Shinichi…"

She opened the package and took out the chocolate. She bit into it, savoring the taste.

"About what I expected from him, I guess. It's too bad I didn't see him." She turned to Conan, who was suddenly feeling scared, "Did _you_ see him, Conan-kun?"

"No. He must've come while I was at school. It was in the mailbox when I got home, so I brought it in for you, since you hadn't come home yet."

"…Thank you, Conan-kun. I would've liked to see him, if only a glimpse." She went into the kitchen to start fixing dinner. Conan looked at the first tag he'd written, but had taken off.

_Ran, _

_Since it's Valentine's, I just wanted to make sure you were well fed, since that diet of yours is probably close to killing you, and I wanted to clarify what I said in London a while ago. I'll be away for awhile longer, so please wait for me until then. _

_Love, _

_Shinichi. _

Conan wasn't sure what had made him change the tag. Was it because he didn't want her to worry, or was it something else? Conan lay awake for hours, pondering the mystery.

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><p>A longer chapter than before. The reason for Conan's change of the gift tags will become obvious before long, if not to him, then to you, if you haven't already guessed correctly.<p>

Next up, Ran gives up on Shinichi? Maybe, maybe not, but if so, then why? Guess, using clues I've already stated! Even if you don't guess, please review, and tell me if the story's any good yet!


	4. Ran's New Boyfriend

Now to find out who gave Ran chocolate! This chapter is kind of sad, but if you're not a ShinRan fan, then you'll probably be happy, at least to some degree.

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><p>Chapter Four<p>

The next day, Conan went through all the chocolate Ran got, in order to make sure she didn't get any from _boys_ or something. Rooting through her bag, he discovered one from a boy whose name he didn't recognize.

'Probably some underclassman that doesn't know how close I am to Ran' he thought, comforting himself. After all, Ran wouldn't pick a boyfriend after asking her to wait for him, and after practically confessing to her in London, right?

At breakfast, Conan confronted Ran about who the guy was.

"Oh, he's just a guy in my class. He's a recent transfer student. He's intelligent, handsome, and modest. All the girls are crazy about him."

"Did he give you chocolate?"

"Why should he?" exclaimed Ran at once, "I don't know him _that_ well! He's just a…" She stopped, seeing the look on Conan's face.

Conan held up the box of half-eaten chocolate, the chocolate she'd been eating the day before when she'd come home. "Ran-neechan, how do you explain _this_?"

Ran saw the box, and knew she'd been found out. "Conan-kun, it's just…you wouldn't understand. He reminds me of Shinichi, just without all the flaws. He's brave, courageous, handsome, and he doesn't try to kill you with random facts all the time. I liked Shinichi a lot, but _he_ never realized when he bored me with Holmes facts."

"What about his confession in London, then?"

"I…I was so happy when he said that. He didn't really say it, of course, but it was implied by what he said. I thought maybe he loved me as much as I loved him. But then he went away again. He never gives details on where he goes or what he does, and I never see him. In return for this, he expects me to wait FOREVER."

"When Masato-kun came, I thought he was Shinichi at first. But he was different. He noticed when I was bored or not, he always tried to help me out, and he never tried to force me to do or listen to anything I didn't want to do. That's why I… I only love Shinichi as an older brother now. He helped me when I was growing up, but now we _are_ grown up, he's drifted away, just as a brother might with his little sister. He expects her to take care of herself."

Ran turned to Conan and said, "I'm sorry Conan-kun. I…I don't really love Shinichi anymore. He might not understand if I tell him, so I'll call him later and tell him about Masato-kun. Don't tell him for me, will you?" She looked at Conan pleadingly.

Conan put on a false cheery face and said, "Of course I won't, Ran-neechan! I'll see you later!" He ran out without eating anything, leaving Ran still looking sad.

Conan knew he wouldn't be able to concentrate at school, so he called in sick using Ran's voice to vouch for him. He then called Ai, too.

"Is this important, Kudo-kun?"

"Haibara, I…I don't think I'll be able to go to school today. Will you tell sensei and the other kids, please?"

"Fine. Whatever you do is your business. See you later, then."

She hung up, and Conan just trudged around the city. He eventually found an empty park, and he sat down and brooded. He never would have thought Ran would have broken his heart like that. He wondered just who this new guy was to have stolen her heart like that, this 'Masato-kun'.

Conan stayed there on that park bench for most of the day, and didn't even notice when his friends entered the park that afternoon. The first one to notice him was Ai, who had tagged along, so she snuck away from the others and walked up in front of him.

Taking a quick look at him, she reasoned that he'd been there for most of the day, and was obviously moping about something, though she couldn't think what, since it was Valentine's Day yesterday, and he had seemed enthusiastic before he went home.

"Kudo-kun?" she asked quietly. Conan didn't even look up. "Kudo-kun," she said again, more loudly, but he still didn't notice her. "KUDO-KUN!" she yelled at him.

This time, Conan looked up and said, "Oh, hey Haibara," in a very pathetic tone of voice.

Ai felt a rush of sympathy, and asked, "Is something wrong Kudo-kun?" She sat down next to him.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Conan, but Ai saw through him instantly. "What's wrong, Kudo-kun? You're acting weird."

Conan finally spoke up, "Ran found another guy."

Oh. So that was it. Ai realized he must've been feeling horrid right now, and simply said, "I see." She blamed herself for even separating the two of them.

"Don't blame yourself," said Conan suddenly, looking at her. "It wasn't your fault, and you'll never hear me say that, so don't you think it, either. It was inevitable. I just didn't prepare myself enough for it."

Ai was about to reply when Conan's phone rang. He took it out and looked at it. He said, "It's a message from Ran." He opened the text and read it. Then he said, "She's officially let me go now, and now there's no turning back."

Conan started crying his eyes out for the first time all day, and Ai just wrapped an arm around his shoulder to comfort him. She didn't really know what to say to him, and he'd probably ignore her anyways.

Suddenly, Ayumi ran up. She'd spotted Ai and Conan, and went to ask what they were doing together. She took one look at Conan's face, though, and quietly slipped away to eavesdrop, and neither of them noticed her.

Ai then said, "Conan-kun, let's go to Hakase's. You can stay there for as long as you need to." She didn't know why she was being so sympathetic all of a sudden, but it seemed to do the trick, especially the fact she'd used his given name instead of his surname.

Conan looked at her and said, "Thanks, Haibara." With that the two of them left and a little girl nearby felt tears come to her eyes.

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><p>Conan just got dumped, and Ayumi was eavesdropping. What's going to happen now? I've gotten Ran out of the picture now, so next up should be Conan starting to warm to Ayumi. However, for those who haven't guessed, Haibara loves Conan in this fic, too, so I'll have to come up with a clever way to get her to quit, too, unless people <em>want<em> this to be CoAi (you don't, right?). So anyways, expect a lot of little kid love and jealousy coming up, and thanks for reviewing!


	5. Conan's Realization

Ayumi's curious now, and maybe a little jealous. What'll she find out about Conan's past?

Note: The comment last chapter about making this a CoAi was a joke. I have absolutely NO intentions of doing that, so don't think that way.

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><p>Chapter Five<p>

Ayumi was very curious as to what had happened that had made Conan break down like that. It couldn't be something trivial, she thought, since Conan had stared down murderers with shotguns before without blinking. She resolved to find out.

Walking to school the next day, she noticed Conan still wasn't around. She saw Ai, though, and since she'd led Conan to Agasa's house the day before, Ayumi reasoned that Ai knew the most about what happened.

"Ai-chan!" Ayumi called while running up to her.

"Oh, Ayumi-chan!"

"Is Conan-kun sick again?"

"Yeah. Edogawa-kun is staying home again. He probably will be for a while."

"Do you know what's wrong?"

"I don't think it's a normal virus or something. Otherwise he wouldn't have gotten sick so fast."

"Is that why you took him to the park yesterday? So he could get some fresh air?"

Ai was startled that Ayumi had seen Conan the day before. She hadn't seen the girl anywhere around, and from the look on Ayumi's face, she knew she couldn't get out of telling her what happened. "Edogawa-kun was feeling bad, so I comforted him. I figured he needed a friend."

"Did he get his heart broken or something?" asked Ayumi. She looked at Ai like she was expecting the truth, and nothing less.

Ai looked at her and noticed the look on her face. So she said, "…Edogawa-kun got a message from his old girlfriend. She told him she'd found someone else, and he's been feeling miserable ever since."

"Conan-kun had a girlfriend? I thought he loved Ran-neechan!"

"He loved Ran-san as an older sister. He said she reminded him of his girlfriend. But then all this happened, and now he feels horrible. He won't even go _near_ Ran-san now." Ai suddenly realized what she'd said. She knew Conan would be furious if he found out what she'd said, so she quickly asked, "Ayumi-chan, please don't tell Edogawa-kun I told you this. It's a very sensitive subject for him, and it took him a while to tell _me_. So don't tell him, OK?"

"Alright, Ai-chan! I'll never tell!" She mimed zipping her lips shut.

Ayumi now knew why exactly Conan wasn't around. She had also started feeling happier. If Conan didn't have a girlfriend anymore, then that meant _she _might have a chance now. She'd also noticed that Ai had called Ran 'Ran-san' instead of her usual 'Mouri-san', too. Ayumi hoped that Ai didn't like Conan, too, but there was no way to tell. Ai _had_ told her, though, that Ran had reminded Conan of his girlfriend, so Ayumi decided to be more like Ran, since that was the type of girl Conan was into.

After school that day, Ayumi convinced Mitsuhiko and Genta to accompany her to visit Conan. She'd said he wasn't feeling well, and that they should help cheer him up, though she hadn't specified anything, as Ai had made her promise.

Soon they arrived at Hakase's. Ai had let them come along, as she figured she couldn't tell them no, and so here they were.

They found Conan inside on the sofa, sulking. They soon roused him, though, and got him involved in various activities. Ayumi hadn't done anything to him, yet, as she was waiting for her chance. The other three started playing video games, and Conan soon lost, which was a surprise to no one, as they all knew he sucked at video games. Ayumi booted herself out soon, too, to give her an excuse to talk to Conan.

Conan was feeling miserable again, and barely noticed the fact that someone had approached. He did notice that whoever it was was small, and wore perfume, and concluded it was a girl. He also noticed that the perfume the girl was wearing was flowery and therefore concluded it was Ayumi.

He could feel her eyes on him, so he forced himself to sit up and look at her. When he did, though, he was in for a shock. Ayumi had removed her hair band, and her hair in her face reminded him of Ran when she was small so much that he almost forgot how to breathe.

The way she was sitting reminded him of Ran, too. It was like she'd observed Ran for hours on end, and was a perfect replica of her, just smaller. Conan didn't even notice he was going red.

"Something wrong, Conan-kun? Why are you staring at me like that?"

Conan shook himself mentally, but he couldn't get that vision out of his head. "Oh, no reason."

Ayumi then asked hesitantly, "Do I remind you of… of her?"

Conan was stunned. He looked at Ayumi, but she was looking at him curiously, and didn't seem to be mad, jealous, or any other emotion. He asked, "What do you mean by 'her'?"

Ayumi suddenly said, "It's just…I figured that if you were this upset right after Valentine's, then it was probably because of a girl. You looked at me funny just now, so I assumed it was because you were thinking of her when you saw me and you thought I was her."

Conan just sighed and said, "To tell you the truth, you two _are_ alike in some ways. You're stubborn, brave, and strong, both mentally and physically. You even _look_ kind of alike."

Ayumi was glad to hear that. If she and the other girl acted alike, then maybe she _did_ have a chance. "What's her name?" she asked curiously.

"Ra..uh, Rin. Mauri Rin."

"Rin?" Ayumi noticed how similar it was to 'Ran' and realized why Conan had admired Ran so much.

She was about to ask more when the other two guys came up and told Ayumi they had to leave. They then said goodbye and left.

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><p>So Conan's starting to notice Ayumi more now. For those of you who think he likes her because she reminds him of Ran, that's actually true for the first part of this story, before Conan realizes all of Ayumi's other qualities.<p>

Next up, Conan continues to compare Ayumi to Ran, but is in for a shock! Plus, a date has interference (guess who)! Look forward to it, and please review.


	6. Conan's 'Date'

Conan starts warming up to Ayumi more! But the date gets interrupted? By who? (Who do you think?)

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><p>Chapter Six<p>

Conan had been surprised when he'd opened up to Ayumi like that. Usually he only opened to Ai, or Ran if he was Shinichi. Ayumi, though, had made him open up, too, and she'd been incredibly perceptive and persuasive, though she obviously hadn't been trying. She'd even made him spill Ran's name, though he'd altered it on the spur of the moment to keep his identity intact.

Over the following days, Conan started thinking of Ayumi more than normal. After spilling his secrets, he'd decided to go back to school, and even moved back into the Detective Agency. He hadn't noticed Ai looking disappointed when he announced it, though.

Conan reverted to his old schedule, and was a lot freer than he used to be. He even saw Masato-san, Ran's new friend, and he had to admit that he was everything Ran said he was. He was like a refined version of Shinichi, without all the flaws, and he wasn't tone-deaf either. After Conan saw how happy Ran was with him, he let Ran go, as her happiness was all he'd ever wanted anyways, and if she was happier with someone else, then so be it.

After being freed from thinking of Ran all the time, Conan became freer with girls. He analyzed all the girls around him, and ranked them based on their strengths and attributes, as well as their looks. He crushed on several girls his real age, but without the antidote, it was a lost cause, so he let them go.

He then remembered how Ayumi had reminded him of Ran so much, and so started noticing her more than normal, and realized just how much she and Ran were alike. They were independent, strong, courageous, and kind. They both got in trouble, and both were popular with a ton of guys, though neither noticed. Conan decided to try an experiment to see just how far Ayumi would go with him, since she obviously liked him as much as Ran had.

He approached the girl during lunch and said, "Ayumi-chan?"

"Conan-kun! What's up?"

"Well, I was thinking that I never really paid you back for those chocolates last week."

"You gave me chocolate back! How is that not enough?"

"Well, you spent a lot of effort on making yours, while I just bought mine. So I just thought I'd pay you back totally for your time and effort."

"You don't really have to do anything, Conan-kun!" Ayumi was confused by where this was going. She'd already told him she didn't need anything, so why was he still offering?

"If you're sure, then alright then," Conan hung his head and walked away, but inside he was grinning. She'd reacted exactly the way he'd anticipated, and if his calculations were correct, then in about two seconds she would…

"Wait Conan-kun!" Ayumi had noticed him looking down and wanted to cheer him up. Conan turned around. Ayumi then said, "You can get me something if you want, Conan-kun. I just didn't want you to feel obligated to repay me for something I already thought you'd paid me for."

"Really, Ayumi-chan? Then how about you accompany me after school? I know a coffee shop nearby with the best snacks you could want!" Conan put on his pleading face.

Ayumi was stunned. She said, "Conan-kun, are you asking me on a…a date?"

"I call it repaying a friend, but it you want to call it a date, then you can. Just don't tell anybody, 'K?" Conan winked at her, and then he walked away with a big grin on his face.

Ayumi was completely thunderstruck. Her first crush had just asked her on a date! For a full minute, she was standing still, too shocked to move. Then she recovered herself. Then she smiled. She wouldn't tell anybody, and she'd enjoy the afternoon!

Ayumi rushed out of the school that afternoon in high spirits. She met up with her friends, but declined their invitation to accompany them by saying she was meeting someone. Conan declined too, saying he had important business. Ai raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Conan and Ayumi then walked off, both of them heading in the same direction.

They soon reached the coffee shop. Conan and Ayumi went inside and ordered a scone apiece, along with a cup of juice and a cup of coffee. Ayumi was very nervous, but Conan didn't seem to be at all. Conan brought up discussion of one of their last cases, and they both discussed it at length until the food arrived.

Suddenly, Conan said he needed to use the restroom, and asked her to wait at the table. Ayumi agreed, thinking about what to say when he came back. While he was gone, there was a loud commotion outside, and a soccer ball mysteriously embedded itself in the sidewalk, and a couple of kids ran off yelping. When Conan came back a minute later, he seemed normal, but Ayumi could tell he was a little jumpy.

"Conan-kun, are you feeling OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You seem a little on edge."

"…"

"What happened in the bathroom?" Ayumi knew something had to have happened then, and it was obviously something he didn't want to share, but she persevered anyways.

"…To tell you the truth, I didn't use the bathroom. I snuck out the window in there and took care of some spies outside."

"Spies! What did they want?"

"They'd been watching the two of us for a while, so I decided to make them go away." When Ayumi looked towards the window, Conan said, "Don't worry, they're gone now!"

"Who were they?"

"Three curious people by the names of Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko, Kojima Genta, and Haibara Ai. They obviously didn't buy our excuses, and followed us here. When I confronted them, they all jumped, and demanded to know what I was doing. So I told them I was treating you to a snack in return for the excellent chocolate. When they _still_ refused to leave, they were on the receiving end of my soccer ball."

"You didn't hurt them, did you?"

"No. Haibara was smart enough to drop the subject soon enough, and had already backed off. The other two were the ones I had to persuade. They may be sore tomorrow, but it won't hurt them. Now c'mon, I'll take you home."

They both got up and left the shop. Conan took Ayumi to her apartment building, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek as thanks for everything. Conan walked away, realizing that Ayumi had matured a lot since he'd first met her. She was more quick-witted, less naive, and more fun to be around, as well as less clingy. Conan realized that he'd actually _enjoyed_ that afternoon, and that thought made him happier than he'd been in a long time.

* * *

><p>Haibara's feelings come to the surface next chapter, and there's a time skip. And maybe some crude humor? (very likely) Expect it soon, and please continue reviewing!<p>

Note: Due to my starting my senior year of high school today, it will probably be longer between updates, but maybe not. I don't really know. Anyways, whatever happens, please bear with me! For more details on this, check out my story _The Mysterious Student_. It's CoAi, but that's not the point. Go to Ch. 10 and go to the bottom of the page, where I elaborate more on my first day, if you care. If you don't then don't worry about it, and pretend you never read this half of this paragraph.


	7. White Day

Now for another stalking incident. There's a time skip to White Day, too, and if you don't know what it is, then you obviously haven't been watching any recent anime episodes.

* * *

><p>Chapter Seven<p>

Ai was jealous. No matter what Conan had told them, it sure looked like a date to _her_. Mitsuhiko and Genta obviously felt the same way. Ai had secretly loved Conan for a while, and Mitsuhiko and Genta both had a crush on Ayumi, so they all felt betrayed. Mitsuhiko and Genta were mad that Conan had kicked a ball at them, like they were criminals, and Ai was glad she'd had the sense to back off before she got kicked, too.

Ai decided to help the other two out in their quest for revenge. After all, she was on Conan's intelligence level and with her on their side, Conan and Ayumi would be in trouble.

"Tsuburaya-kun, Kojima-kun," she said, walking up to them, where they were nursing their bruises. They were walking home, away from the coffee shop.

Both boys turned and said, "Haibara-san! What's up?"

"I think we all agree that what happened earlier was not natural. I think we also agree that we need to put a stop to it. Will you join me?"

The boys were stunned. After all, Ai never did anything like this, and it would help both of them out. "Of course, Haibara-san!" they chimed in unison. They then went to Mitsuhiko's house to plan how to pay Conan out.

The next day, all three of them staked out Ayumi's apartment. They were wondering if Conan would walk her to school, but were disappointed. All day, Conan acted like nothing had happened, and all three of them thought that maybe it really _wasn't_ a date. None of them were letting their guard down though.

A month later, they'd all given up thinking that Conan liked Ayumi. On March 14, though, they all got a shock. It was White Day, and Conan gave Ayumi chocolate again. Ayumi happily accepted it, and they stayed close all day, making the other three jealous. They followed the two of them home, and they stopped by a convenience store. Ai, Mitsuhiko, and Genta all had their faces pressed against the glass to see in, but Conan and Ayumi disappeared.

Twenty minutes later, they came out with a bag apiece, and she and Conan went to her apartment. Ayumi took the bags and went inside, and Conan walked off.

Conan had noticed the other three following them, and he devised a plan to get rid of them. He judged how far behind him they were, and suddenly stopped. He mimed picking up a coin, but he really laid down one of speakers for his bowtie. Then he kept walking.

When he judged enough time had passed for them to near the speaker, he stopped again, knowing that the guys behind him would stop too. Then he took out his bowtie and started talking to them, still without facing them.

"You know, if you want to tail someone, I can teach you how." The loud shrieks and curses from behind him told him they'd heard him. He turned around and said, "You actually thought I hadn't noticed? I'm a detective; I notice things like that."

"Why are you following me, anyway? Especially you, Haibara; it's completely out of character for you." He waited while the three slowly approached him.

Ai spoke first, "Edogawa-kun, we all noticed you hanging out with Ayumi-chan a lot more than normal. We were worried about her." The other two followed her lead and nodded.

"Worried how?" Conan asked curiously.

"We were worried that you might do _that_ to her." Ai said. While she said _that_, she unconsciously made a rude hand gesture. Luckily, the other two didn't see, but Conan did. Some passersby saw too, and stared at her in horror, muttering about rude children before going on their way.

It wasn't lost on Conan what she was getting at, and he was completely shocked she'd even suggest something like that, "Haibara! Why would I even _consider_ doing something like that? I've never tried with anyone else, so why should I try with her?" Conan went off on Ai for another minute, and then stormed off, fuming.

Mitsuhiko and Genta looked at Ai curiously. They asked, "What did you mean by _that_, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing important," she said quickly, and walked away for home, leaving the other two staring after her. Ai was very surprised by what had happened. She hadn't planned on Conan arranging a confrontation, let alone to his advantage. Maybe that was what had prompted her to be so rude to him. It was her actual feelings she'd told him, and it had completely infuriated him to the point where he had strode off.

She wondered if he'd ever forgive her. She'd probably ruined any chance of him ever loving her, too. Looking back on it, she realized she hadn't really meant to say any of that to him, it just sort of came out. She therefore took out her phone and sent him a quick text message.

_I'm sorry. _

Caller ID would tell him who it was, and even if it didn't, he'd know who had sent it anyway. Ai went home feeling slightly more cheerful than before.

* * *

><p>Next time I explore Conan's reactions to the whole thing. I completely appreciate everyone who has reviewed this story, as I know that AyumiXConan isn't really that popular. So please keep enjoying the story, and please keep reviewing!<p> 


	8. Conan's Decision and Revelations

Conan and Haibara make up in this chapter, and ShinRan stuff officially ends. Plus, Conan has a revelation!

* * *

><p>Chapter Eight<p>

_I'm sorry._

That was the message Conan was looking at now. He'd gone home and sulked upstairs for most of the day, and he'd only just opened Ai's message, even though he'd gotten it a while before.

The message itself made Conan feel slightly more cheerful. He realized Ai had felt bad about what she'd said, and wanted to make amends. After all, he was her friend, and he'd protected her and saved her more than once, so alienating him probably wasn't the best move for her, and Conan was glad she'd realized it.

School the next day was spent in silence. He gave Ai the thumbs up when he first saw her, but didn't talk to anyone for the rest of the day.

Ai was still feeling guilty. His thumbs up earlier had calmed her, since she knew he forgave her, but his silence was unnerving. Granted, he never really talked in class anyway, but he always talked to her or the others during lunch.

After school, Ai caught up with Conan while he was leaving.

"Kudo-kun."

"Haibara."

"Kudo-kun, I just wanted you to know I really didn't mean any of that yesterday. I was just having a bit of a bad day."

"I figured as much. You don't normally do stuff like that, like stalk me or accuse me of stuff. It still made me mad, though, and it takes a lot to make me _that_ mad. So please be careful in the future. If I ever get as mad as I got yesterday, I can't be held responsible for what happens."

"So I'm lucky you stalked off?"

"Pretty much. If the other two hadn't been looking on, you'd probably be home now nursing bruises or something, and I'd probably be in jail on charges of child molestation. So, are we still friends, then?"

"Of course, Kudo-kun." They shook on it, and Ai was glad everything was back to normal. They then walked home, chatting happily about random things.

When they got to Hakase's, Conan came in, too. Then Conan asked a question that she'd heard a million times before. "Do you have a time estimate for the antidote?"

"No. It'll take a while to finish, though," she said curtly.

"As in more than 3-4 months?"

"A lot more than that."

"I see. Will you take it too?"

"I don't know. Probably not, though. I have nothing to go back to, after all. Why?" She was curious because his tone was different from normal.

"Well, I've been thinking. I don't really have anything to go back to, either. The main reason was Ran, but she's moved on. Everyone else that matters either knows my identity or knows me as a smart kid. What I'm trying to say, I guess…is that I really don't want the antidote anymore. You can make it if _you_ want it, but you don't have to make it for me."

Ai was stunned. Conan turning down the only way to be a teenager again? This was unheard of, especially for him. She asked, "Are you sure about this?"

"After a lot of thinking, I've made up my mind. Shinichi's been gone for a long time, and everyone's used to Conan. I guess it'll stay that way now, and everyone will be happy."

"If you're really sure…then I guess I'll stop the research." She didn't mention that if he was staying, then she would be staying, too.

Conan then got up, stretched, and said, "Thanks, Haibara! Now I can really live my new life to the fullest!" He went to the door, waved, and then went outside.

On the way home, Conan took out his bowtie and Shinichi's cell phone, and made a call to Ran, the first since she let him go.

"Hello?"

"Ran? It's Shinichi-desu."

The sharp intake of breath on the other end made Conan wonder if this was such a good idea or not. "Oh, hey Shinichi!" said Ran, rather cautiously. "What are you calling for?"

"Well, I've finished my big case, but I'll have to stay in America for the follow-up work. So what I'm saying is I probably won't be back for a really long time. Probably for years. So, I have a request. Live your life to the fullest, and forget about me. I'm perfectly happy here, working on what I've always loved, so I want you to be happy too. Can you do that for me?"

"I…I guess, Shinichi. I've actually already started."

"Oh, you mean Masato-san?"

"How'd you know?"

"I'm a detective, remember? Anyways, the truth is, after you texted me, Conan called me to console me, and he told me everything. He said he promised not to until you'd told me yourself, but I convinced him I knew enough that the promise was fulfilled. So don't be too hard on him. I also made him promise to be supportive of you two. So make him happy for me, will you?"

"Shinichi…I…thank you. Will you call again soon?"

"Sure. Anyways, I have to go, and I'll call again as soon as I have a chance. Bye."

They exchanged pleasantries, and then they hung up. Conan now felt extremely happy. He had no intentions of going home so soon, so he went and practiced soccer at the park for a while. Then he sat down and thought. He thought about Ayumi, Ran, and Ai.

Then suddenly something clicked. It was why Ayumi didn't really bother him as much anymore. It wasn't just because she was more mature. It was because he _enjoyed_ her being around. He loved her, as more than a little sister. It was suddenly so obvious to him.

It also explained why the other two had followed him every time he and Ayumi went somewhere alone. Genta and Mitsuhiko were jealous of him. But why did Ai come, too? Worried? Not. Not about him, he couldn't do anything as a kid. Jealous? That could be true for Mitsuhiko and Genta, but for Ai?

The thought that Ai might be jealous made him run through the facts of the last few days. He thought about Ai's outburst and the fact she'd tailed him with as much enthusiasm as the other two. He realized he was right, she _was_ jealous, and was trying not to show it. He realized that while her outburst had been unintentional, she, for once, hadn't hidden anything, and was hoping he didn't like Ayumi.

Now Conan had a new problem: how was he supposed to confront Ayumi about his feelings when Ai liked him, too?

* * *

><p><em>Another<em> love triangle. Great. I've got an interesting idea to get rid of Haibara, though, so look forward to it. In the meantime, reviews with tips for improvement are _very_ appreciated. Thanks!


	9. Asking for Help

Now Conan has to start dealing with Haibara and Ayumi, so he goes to get help from a very unlikely source.

Note: Due to the suggestion I received, I am now planning to include Heiji and Kazuha in this story, but they won't appear for a little while. If you enjoy stories about them, look forward to it!

* * *

><p>Chapter Nine<p>

Conan didn't really have any ideas, so he decided to ask Ran about it. He knew she could keep secrets, and if he asked anyone else, they'd tease him a lot more than she would. She was reading a book when Conan finally got home, late, and she immediately got up and scolded him.

After the harsh scolding about being out late, she took him into the kitchen and gave him the leftovers. She sat at the table watching him eat, but noticed he seemed preoccupied.

"Is something wrong, Conan-kun?"

"It's nothing. I'm just in a bit of a dilemma."

Ran, who was knowledgeable about these kinds of things, guessed, "Girl trouble?"

Conan just nodded. Then he asked, "If you were a guy, Ran-neechan, what would you do if you loved a girl, but you knew for a FACT that another girl liked you too? Dating either one would break the other's heart. So what do I do?" He looked quite distressed.

Ran, listening, quickly realized who the two girls were, even if she didn't know who went where.

"Conan-kun, do you like Ayumi-chan or Ai-chan?"

Conan looked up, and then just sighed. Ran _was_ awfully perceptive, even if she never really used it on detective stuff like he did.

"…Ayumi-chan."

Ran immediately said, "AW! Conan-kun has a _crush_! How cute!"

She continued on, but a quick look from Conan quickly shut her up. A death glare from a little boy was _scary_ in her opinion, and she didn't want it to continue. Conan asked again, "What would you do if you were in my situation?"

Ran thought for a minute, with Conan eyeing her apprehensively. She knew both Ayumi and Ai pretty well, she thought, so Conan's statement about breaking Ai's heart was probably true. Ai was pretty quiet, so it was clear she'd never share anything with anyone, and would be hurt all the more by it.

"Well, I'd hold off on telling her for a while. Just act like a caring friend, and slowly migrate into more of a 'boyfriend' role. By that time, confessing will be easy, because everyone will be expecting it anyway."

Conan thought her explanation made sense, but he was still worried about Ai. After all, she was very observant, and her heart would still be broken. But he couldn't say any of this to Ran, so he just said, "Thanks, Ran-neechan!" happily, before running off to the room he and Kogoro shared.

Ran had noticed the worried look on Conan's face, and realized he was skeptical the plan would work. So she decided to work behind the scenes. She wouldn't tell anyone, not even Sonoko, and no one would suspect a thing, she hoped.

* * *

><p>Conan now has advice on how to continue, but when he gets found out, what'll happen? Next up, Haibara, Mitsuhiko, and Genta cook up an evil scheme to break them up! How's Conan going to get out of <em>this<em>?


	10. Haibara's Idea

Now for Haibara to use her superior intellect to tick off Conan! This chapter starts it off!

* * *

><p>Chapter Ten<p>

During the next few weeks, Conan slowly started hanging out with Ayumi more. He walked her home, bought her food for her, and did other things. Stuff he used to do for Ran when he was still Shinichi. He bantered playfully, pulled pranks, and other stuff.

Ayumi noticed it. She was happy Conan was paying more attention to her, but she wondered why. She had always noticed Conan had loved someone else, and had never given her a second thought, so why would he now, if indeed that's what it was?

Ran had worked behind the scenes. She told Miss Kobayashi to pair the two of them up in class, she had her friends constantly tease Conan about him and Ayumi rather than him and Ai, and she had Hakase play an active part. These subtle hints would help him along, she thought, and no one would ever notice.

Ai had noticed how Conan and Ayumi were spending more time together, and it made her jealous. Mitsuhiko and Genta hadn't noticed yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time. After all, Mitsuhiko liked Ayumi almost as much as he liked her, and Genta liked Ayumi almost as much as he liked pigging out on unagi.

Soon enough, they noticed. The big tip off was Conan's severe blushing when Ayumi cheeked him one day. The other tip off was when he hugged Ayumi tightly right in front of all of them. Mitsuhiko and Genta were _furious_. Conan had told them explicitly that he _didn't_ like Ayumi, but all of his actions contradicted what he'd said. They were furious he'd lied to them, and found Ai as soon as possible.

"Oi Haibara!" shouted Genta. He and Mitsuhiko had been looking for her all throughout recess.

Ai knew what was coming, so she just said, "Kojima-kun," curtly.

Mitsuhiko spoke up, "Haibara-san! Have you noticed Conan-kun and Ayumi-chan lately? They're acting like a _couple_."

"What's wrong with that?" asked Ai. She already knew what was wrong, though.

"The problem is Conan lied to us!" said Genta forcefully. "He said he had zero interest in Ayumi, but he obviously does."

"We've been played for suckers," said Mitsuhiko sadly. "Haibara-san, do you have any ideas to remedy this situation?"

"I might. Come by Hakase's place later, and we'll discuss them."

With that, they parted ways. After school, Conan went off with Ayumi somewhere, and the other three headed to Hakase's house.

When they arrived, Hakase wasn't home, so they just went inside and started planning.

"What's your big idea, Haibara-san?" asked Mitsuhiko.

"My plan is to make Ayumi-chan think Edogawa-kun is cheating on her. She'll get sad and move on. Edogawa-kun won't know what to think, and he'll be heartbroken, but all's well that ends well."

"How will we make Ayumi jealous?" asked Genta suddenly, "Only Conan can do that, and none of us could possibly persuade him to do anything with anyone else."

"What about a decoy?" asked Mitsuhiko suddenly. "If we use a decoy that looks and acts just like Conan-kun, she'll have to think it's him!"

"But where are we going to find a decoy, Mitsuhiko?" asked Genta.

Ai spoke up, "I actually have a solution. Stay here while I go get it."

Ai left to get whatever it was she was getting, and the other two looked after her curiously. Ai decided to play a prank on them, just to prove that her plan was decent. She was planning to use the Conan disguise she'd used at the school play, when Conan had returned to being Shinichi, and he'd needed a stand-in.

Ai got some of Conan's spare clothes that he kept at Hakase's, which he kept there in case he spent the night on short notice. She went into her room, changed into the clothes, and put on the wig and the spare pair of tracking glasses. She then put on the voice-changing face mask. Then, she exited via the window and reentered via the door in the basement.

Ai came up the stairs from the basement, and she could see the two guys watching the stairs to the second floor anxiously. They were obviously waiting for her. Ai grinned mischievously, and walked up behind them and said, "And what are you two doing here?"

Mitsuhiko and Genta both jumped like they'd both sat on a porcupine. They whirled around and looked at 'Conan'.

"Conan-kun!" exclaimed Mitsuhiko, "what are you doing here?"

"That's what I just asked you, Mitsuhiko. You and Genta are here in Hakase's house staring at the steps."

Mitsuhiko giggled nervously and said, "We were just, uh, waiting for Haibara-san."

Ai scoffed in typical Conan style and said, "Figures. Is she putting on a fashion show or something? You were both staring at the stairs like there was something good about to come down them."

Genta said, "Haibara was going to show us something cool! She said it was a big surprise! But she also said it was only for the two of us to see, and to make anyone else go away."

Ai cocked her head and put her hand on her chin, similar to what Conan would do. "Judging by your reactions, and the fact that all three of you have been stalking Ayumi-chan and me for a while, I can only come up the conclusion that the three of you came over to discuss a plan to break us up. The best plan would probably be to use a decoy to think I'm cheating on Ayumi-chan, and force us to break up. That about right?"

Ai glanced at the horrified expressions on the boys' faces, and she knew they were totally fooled by her act. "I thought so. If Haibara went to get something, then it was probably her Conan disguise."

They both looked up and said, "Conan disguise?"

"Yeah. She can dress herself up as me to fool almost anyone. She's even fooled you two, Ayumi-chan, and Ran-neechan."

"Wait, she's dressed up as you before? When?" asked Mitsuhiko.

"It was after I got shot in the gut. After I got out of the hospital, I was too weak to do anything, so she took my place. You all never noticed."

Genta suddenly spoke up, "Conan, why aren't you mad? Last time we tailed you, you really went off on us, especially Haibara. But you aren't now, even though you just totally blew everything!"

"Yeah!" exclaimed Mitsuhiko, "You _are_ acting weird, and you're wearing a mask. Why?" He and Genta both stood up menacingly, and moved towards Ai, who was slowly backing away, as Conan would in such a case.

"Actually, the reason I'm not mad is simple. I'm not Conan."

The two both stopped and stared at 'Conan'.

"What do you mean you're not you?" they asked simultaneously.

Ai simply unhooked one side of her mask, and then said, "Watch." She suddenly, in one fluid movement, pulled off the mask, the glasses, and the wig, revealing her true face.

Mitsuhiko and Genta leaped backwards in shock. Mitsuhiko recovered first and said, "Haibara-san, you…you tricked us."

"Rather well, too, wouldn't you agree? You two looked scared to death." Ai said smugly.

Genta said, "Haibara, you totally fooled us! You really are good at that, you know!"

"So the decoy is a good idea?"

"Of course it is!" they both said in unison.

"Then let's plan!" said Ai, and they both went back to the table.

The planning took most of the afternoon. They decided that Ai should loan her disguise out to Mitsuhiko, since the person who would most provoke a reaction out of Ayumi would be Ai, if Conan started taking an interest in her. Genta was given the job of making sure Conan was nowhere around when Mitsuhiko made the switch, so Ayumi could see them without realizing it was a fake.

All three were happy about the plan, but for different reasons. Ai and Genta were happy that the person they loved might soon move on from someone else, and might pick them instead. Mitsuhiko was glad he'd been going on 'dates' with Ai, since he liked her too, though he was disappointed he'd be doing it in disguise.

At 6:30, they all went home, satisfied with what was going on.

* * *

><p>Uh-oh, Conan's got three jealous kids after him, and with the disguise idea, they might actually be a threat. Next up, Ayumi gets jealous, and Haibara gets her revenge on Conan for something he didn't do? Expect it in a little over 24 hours.<p>

Note: The Conan disguise was used by Haibara in the Desperate Revival arc, where Conan returned to Shinichi for the school play.


	11. The Wrath of Ai Haibara

Now for the juicy stuff! The outcome of the first date that Conan supposedly went on is explored, and the chapter includes humor. I won't describe the date in detail, because nothing really happened, since it was a set up.

* * *

><p>Chapter Eleven<p>

Two days later, Conan was walking to school, as normal, when Ayumi joined him. They walked the rest of the way in peaceful silence, both enjoying the company of the other.

At school, though, it was a different story. As soon as Conan walked in, all the guys in the class immediately glared at him, and the girls started sobbing quietly. Conan ignored all of this and went to his seat, figuring that their reactions were provoked by Ayumi's presence.

He soon found that wasn't the case. As soon as he sat down, he was bombarded by guys. They all wanted to know the same thing: why the heck did he go on a date with Ai the previous night? They all looked angry. Conan didn't know what the heck they were talking about.

"What are you all talking about? I didn't even _see_ Haibara last night, let alone went with her on a date!"

"It sure _looked_ like you. And you called her 'Ai-chan'! She never lets _anyone_ call her that, besides Ayumi-chan! So why do _you_ get to call her that?"

Conan was now more confused than ever. Just then Ai walked in, spotted him, and quickly sat down in her seat next to him. Then she said, "Conan-kun, I hope you remember your promise from last night. After all, I _did_ tell you what would happen if you bailed out." Some of the guys started hassling her about it, but she glared them all away.

Ai noticed the look on Ayumi's face, and grinned internally. The plan was working perfectly. The 'date' with 'Conan' (Mitsuhiko in disguise) was just the first step. Everyone eavesdropping was convinced that it really _was_ Conan, and her usage of 'Conan-kun' had just cemented that thought in their minds.

At lunch, Conan sat near Ayumi in an attempt to convince her he had _no_ idea what anyone was talking about, but Ai came up and sat on his other side and said, "Conan-kun, it's time for you to give me your present!" She said it in a normal tone, with no malice, nor did she say it too girlishly, or Conan would've known something was up.

Conan was confused. He knew he hadn't been on a date. He'd been home alone watching TV. But apparently, everyone else thought so, including Ai, and now he was supposed to pay up who knows what. "Haibara, I honestly don't know…" he began, but Ai suddenly cut him off.

"You mean you FORGOT? After that big speech last night about truth and justice, you weren't honest when you said you'd remember?" Ai didn't scream at him. She spoke calmly but menacingly, and she knew Conan would pick up on it.

Conan had turned pale. He knew he was in trouble now. He knew he couldn't fight his way out, with their being in a school, and usage of the stun-gun wristwatch would only knock out one person, and he'd be dead meat before he reached the door.

He thought quickly and said, "Actually, Haibara, I _did_ remember. Here." He took out from his pocket a bracelet. He'd been intending to give it to Ayumi later on, but now that was shot.

Ai looked at the bracelet and said, "That's not what you promised, Conan-kun. You promised to get me a new Fusae brand purse."

Conan immediately paled again. The bracelet had been his last shot, and now he was in _deep_ trouble, if the incident at the onsen was anything to judge by.

"You," she said menacingly, "are no longer allowed to call me 'Ai-chan'. And you'll get your punishment about that promise LATER." With that, she stormed away, and Conan was left with a foreboding sense of doom. Ayumi was furious with Conan, too, and also got up and moved, and so Conan was left alone.

Conan decided to get to the bottom of the mystery. He knew for a FACT where'd he'd been the night before, and wondered if this was all some kind of hoax. He snuck out after school in disguise as a small, runty kid, and made his way to the Kudo Mansion. He didn't dare go anywhere else, because Ai would know about them and be able to pay him out for something he had no memory of.

Conan's first call was to Agasa-hakase.

"Hello?" Luckily it was him and not Ai.

"Hakase, it's me."

"Oh, Shinichi! What are you calling for?"

"I was just wondering where Haibara was last night."

"What? You don't remember? She was at some restaurant with you!"

"Really?"

"Yeah. Do you honestly not remember?"

"No. What do you know?"

"You came over at around 6:30 to pick up Ai-kun. You then left with her in a taxi. You brought her home at around 9:00, before going home yourself. You put Ai-kun in a good mood, though."

"Anything else?"

"Ai-kun was really happy. She kept going on and on about some promise you'd made to her, which she knew you'd keep because she claimed you were an honest detective."

"Where'd we go, then?"

"She said it was some cheap fast-food place. She said you couldn't afford more because you only had a kid's allowance to pay for it, and a kid couldn't really use a credit card."

"Is that all you know, Hakase?"

"Yeah. Good luck with Ai-kun, Shinichi!"

He hung up, and Conan did the same. Conan then called the taxi company to see about the taxi, since Agasa had not given the name of the restaurant. The company told him that a Mr. Edogawa had rented a taxi last night, and the taxi had been sent to pick up two kids. The kids had gone to a nearby Donny's, and had come home in the taxi at 9:00.

After hanging up, Conan then went through his mom's makeup kit, disguised himself, and went to the restaurant. He showed a waiter who'd been working the day before a picture of his real self, and the woman confirmed that the boy and a little girl had come in the night before.

Conan soon left, wondering just what was happening.

* * *

><p>Now what does Ayumi think about all this? Her reaction will be explored next! Also, Heiji and Kazuha will make their debut next chapter!<p>

Note: The onsen incident is a reference to episodes 597-598.


	12. The Second Incident

This chapter is longer than others, and features the introduction of two people you all wanted to see introduced!

* * *

><p>Chapter Twelve<p>

Ayumi was miserable. Conan was seeing Ai. That had been confirmed by the majority of the class, and by Ai herself! As Ai was no fool that meant that the date had actually happened. Plus, Conan had had the gift ready, too, even though it wasn't the right one. There was no getting around that.

What bothered her most was how Conan had consistently denied he'd been there, even though he'd had a ton of witnesses. It made her think he was a two timer, and it disgusted her. He hadn't acted any differently that morning, and then the big kicker during lunch had come. Ayumi was miserable.

A week passed with no more incidents, and Conan was starting to wonder if he'd just imagined the whole thing. The fact that Ayumi was avoiding him, though, confirmed it had. Ai still hadn't delivered on her promise of revenge, and Conan was getting more edgy by the day.

After school one day, Ayumi ran off without speaking to him, and he wondered what had happened _this_ time. Then Genta came up.

"Oi Conan! Why'd you have to make Ayumi cry like that?"

"Cry like what?"

"Don't play dumb! We all _saw_ you! You were giving Haibara a present and telling her how cute she was!"

Conan was shocked again. First of all, he had no recollection of the incident to which Genta was referring. Secondly, if he'd made Ayumi cry, then he'd have to watch out for some of the other guys that liked her, like Genta, since they'd make his life miserable.

"When was it?" asked Conan.

Genta looked confused, "During recess! Don't you remember? You apologized to Haibara about the whole mess the other day, gave her a gift, and finished off smoothly by telling her she was really cute! How can you NOT remember something like that?"

Conan distinctly remembered being inside during recess, reading a novel, since he didn't want to give Ai a chance for revenge. He'd been doing it for the last couple of days.

"Ayumi-chan cried because of it?"

"Of course!" roared Genta, "She was there to see the whole thing! She ran off crying a river and you just stood there and gaped! How DARE you make Ayumi cry like that!" He took a swing at Conan, but Conan dodged. Genta was moving towards him again, and Conan turned tail and _ran_.

When Conan ran in that afternoon looking like a scared cat, Ran noticed, and tried to calm him down.

"What happened, Conan-kun?"

"Everyone's out to get me! They think I made Ayumi-chan cry earlier!"

"Conan-kun, please calm down. Nobody's going to get you in here, not when I'm around!" Conan sat down and took a few deep breaths. Ran then asked, "What happened, Conan-kun?"

"Genta confronted me after school. He accused me of being all nice and lovey-dovey to Haibara, and he said I made Ayumi-chan cry!"

"Did you?"

"Everyone _says_ I did, but I can assure you I didn't. I was in the library reading while the incident took place. I think I'm losing my mind!" he suddenly screamed, and clutched his head like he was in pain.

Ran picked him up and held him, calming him down. Then she asked, "Why do you think you're going crazy?"

"Because this isn't the first time this has happened!"

Ran was startled. "What happened?"

"Last week, I was observed on a date with Haibara, even though I have no memory of going. I checked into it, and it seems that it's true. Haibara and Hakase both vouched on the date's authenticity."

"Anything else?"

"Apparently, I made a promise to Haibara to get her a gift. When she confronted me about why she hadn't gotten it, I didn't have a clue what she was talking about, and she got angry. I offered her a gift I had that I'd been planning to give to Ayumi-chan later, but she rejected it and stormed away. Ayumi-chan's been avoiding me ever since, and I couldn't give her the gift as a peace offering!"

Ran saw Conan's problem, and knew he was in a lot of hot water. On the night of the date, neither she nor her dad had been home, so Conan could've been anywhere. She knew he probably wasn't losing his mind, and that it was some sort of trick, but who would do something like _this_?

She decided to help by saying, "I'm calling Hattori-kun to see if _he_ has any ideas about all this. You wait here."

She left Conan on the couch looking scared to death, and picked up her cell phone. She went back to the couch to comfort Conan while she called Kazuha, as she didn't have Heiji's number.

"Kazuha-chan?"

"Ran-chan! How've you been doing?"

"Pretty well I guess. I'm actually calling because of a problem with Conan-kun."

"Conan-kun? What's he done this time?"

"He's been trying to get a girlfriend, but he's been thwarted by…himself. It's kind of weird."

"How so?"

"He keeps hitting on a girl other than the one he likes, and he has no memory of it at all. It's happened twice. Conan-kun's scared to death because he thinks he's going crazy and all the other kids are mad at him for two-timing."

"Sounds more Heiji's department than mine. Why didn't you call him?"

"I don't have his number. So I called you instead. Is Hattori-kun around?"

"Heiji's somewhere around. Oi, Heiji!" She started calling Heiji, and a minute later, he was on the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hattori-kun, it's Ran-desu."

"Oh, Ran-san! What brings you to call on the services of the great kansai detective Hattori Heiji?"

"Conan-kun's having problems." She explained the problem to Heiji, too.

"Indeed, that is a problem. Don't worry then, I'll come to Tokyo as soon as possible to help the shrimp out! So just…" He was interrupted by Kazuha.

"You're going to Tokyo _again_? Then I'm going too! _Someone's_ got to keep an eye on you!" Ran could hear Heiji grumbling, but a loud noise on his end quickly ended it.

"We'll go to Tokyo first thing tomorrow!" said Heiji. "Don't let the shrimp out of the apartment, whatever you do. There's something fishy going on around here, and I'll find out what it is!" Heiji then hung up, and Ran could only hope he'd be there soon.

* * *

><p>The next chapter features some investigating by the great detective Heiji! And Kazuha might get to spy, too! This chapter generally just told about the second major incident that happened (probably the last) and how Conan's getting around to getting to the bottom of it.<p>

You might think Conan's acting a bit OOC here, but he's acting weird because he's scared to death, since he thinks he's going crazy. I'll resolve this issue soon enough, though. In the meantime, please continue reviewing!


	13. Getting Help from Heiji

This chapter features the first _physical_ appearance of Heiji and Kazuha! The investigations start, too!

* * *

><p>Chapter Thirteen<p>

Heiji was very curious about the whole situation. He'd heard from Kazuha about Ran leaving Shinichi, and figured Conan would try something with someone else before long. But who would want to make him think he was losing his mind?

He and Kazuha arrived in Tokyo early the next morning. It was Saturday, so there was no school, and that wasn't a problem. Upon arriving at the Mouri Detective Agency, they rang the bell and went inside. Ran, Kogoro, and Conan were busy eating breakfast, and Heiji noticed Conan looking around as if he were paranoid.

"Hattori-kun, Kazuha-chan!" exclaimed Ran when they came in, "Thanks for coming! Would you like some food?"

They ate a little of what was left, and then everyone but Kogoro went downstairs to the office to talk about what was going on. Heiji spoke up, "So, Ku...Conan-kun, you think you're losing your memory?"

"It's the only explanation, unless I've got a twin. Besides, who could fool Haibara like that if it _was_ a twin or a doppelganger or something, anyway?"

"You have a point," said Heiji thoughtfully. "That little girl is as sharp as you, and no one could masquerade as her best friend without her realizing it. What exactly were the incidents, anyways?"

Conan told him about the date and making Ayumi cry. "I see," said Heiji. "If you're _certain_ it really wasn't you, then someone's out to destroy your relationship with that soon-to-be girlfriend of yours. The big problem is who could fool both the little blonde girl and everyone around all of them, even that little girl Ayumi. Any ideas?"

Conan thought a minute, "Well, the only person who could impersonate me like that is…Haibara. She's done it before, almost flawlessly."

Ran was startled. "Oh, she _did_, did she? Would this explain why you were acting weird during my school play?" She glared at Conan, as if daring him to answer negatively.

Conan looked down and said, "Yeah that was her. She borrowed some of my clothes, put on a wig and fake glasses, and hid a voice changer in her cold mask."

Heiji suddenly asked, "Maybe she's doing it again!"

Conan shook his head, "I don't think it's her. After all, if she's disguised as me, then who's disguised as her? Besides, when she confronted me at lunch that day, it was _obviously_ her, and many witnesses proved that it was her and 'me' on the playground. This doesn't make any sense!"

Kazuha suddenly spoke up, "Could anybody have stolen the costume, then?"

Conan laughed and said, "From right under Haibara's nose? Not likely. If _anybody _goes into her room, she'll know, and she hasn't shown any signs of that. So if it _is_ a costume, then it's made from scratch by someone else."

"Well!" said Heiji suddenly, "Then I'll start investigating right away! I think the best thing to do is to keep an eye on that little blonde girl. If 'Conan-kun' shows up and makes a move on her, I'll call _you_ and confirm your location. Sound good?"

"Sure, Heiji-niichan! Just be careful, though. Haibara knows when she's being watched, and we don't need to scare her. Take these." He took his glasses off and gave them to Heiji. "You can use the tracking function to follow her from a distance."

"Thanks, Ku…Conan-kun. You can count on me! C'mon Kazuha!" With that, both of them left, and Conan decided to stay inside and watch TV.

Ai had heard from Genta about Conan's reaction to what had happened. She was glad he'd been scared by Genta, since maybe now he'll back off from Ayumi and go after someone else, like _her_.

Ai was walking cheerfully down the street the Saturday after Mitsuhiko had dressed up as Conan and been romantic to her in front of everyone. She was in a good mood about everything that had happened, though she didn't let it show on her face. She was planning on doing some shopping for Hakase, and went during the morning when most everyone would be asleep.

She was halfway there when she suddenly got the sense she was being _watched_. She knew it couldn't be the Organization, since they'd been defeated a while ago. The presence didn't _feel_ like them, either. It didn't feel malevolent. She turned around to look suddenly, but she didn't see anyone. She looked in the mirror of a car after she'd turned back around and walked on a little ways, but she still didn't see anyone, and she wondered if she was just paranoid.

The presence stayed with her, though, and didn't let up when she got in the store. She did her shopping, but was constantly glancing around. There wasn't anyone else in the store, besides a teenage girl of around Ran's age with glasses. She didn't pay any attention to Ai, and was muttering to herself in Osaka-ben about why the pantry was so darn empty, or so it seemed to Ai, though she wondered why the girl didn't have a shopping basket.

Ai soon went home, and the feeling of being watched didn't leave until she'd gotten back inside Agasa's house. She called Mitsuhiko and told him that the 'date' that afternoon was cancelled, though she didn't state why.

* * *

><p>What's up with Haibara feeling weird? Was she being stalked or something? I've dropped the clues, so try and guess! (It should be fairly obvious.) Next up, the results of the investigation come up, and another one begins!<p> 


	14. Heiji's Investigation

Sorry about the late update, but I've had a ton of meetings in the evenings, with a ton of homework to go with it. This chapter has more investigation, and the truth comes out!

* * *

><p>Chapter Fourteen<p>

Heiji and Kazuha had gone to the Kudo Mansion to keep an eye on Ai. When Ai had left that morning, Kazuha had disguised herself somewhat and followed her at a distance, using the pair of tracking glasses that Conan had lent her. She hadn't seen anything odd, and had told Heiji so. She'd gone instead of Heiji since Ai would be less likely to recognize her.

Heiji had done something a little risky while the girl had been gone. Agasa had been gone, too, so Heiji had snuck into the house through an open window, and looked through it for any incriminating evidence. All he found, or rather _didn't_ find, was the Conan costume that Conan had reported that Ai had used before, and Heiji wondered why it wasn't there. He quickly checked to see if he'd brushed against or moved anything and then had snuck back out and gone back next door.

Twenty minutes later, Kazuha had returned, and they informed Conan about what had happened via phone.

"She doesn't have the costume?" asked Conan incredulously. "She said she'd hold on to it, just in case. Nothing was there?"

"Nope. No wig, no fake glasses, no mask with a voice changer. There were plenty of masks lying around, but none with a voice changer. Your spare clothes were over there, but that's it. No incriminating evidence of any kind."

Conan thought a minute and said, "If she doesn't have the costume, it's possible she loaned it to someone. If she did that, then…"

"What is it, Conan-kun?" asked Kazuha curiously.

"It's just, someone could disguise as me, and if Haibara loaned them the costume, then she'd know who it was, and…" Conan suddenly blurted out, "Maybe this is all her doing! She loaned out the costume, and then 'dated' that person to make Ayumi-chan break up with me! Maybe we're all being played for suckers!"

"Who might it be, then, Conan-kun?" asked Ran.

"It would have to be someone who knew me well enough to impersonate me. It would also have to be someone around my body size, and it would have to be someone who wouldn't mind staying alone with Haibara. So, if I had to take a guess, I'd have to say Mitsuhiko."

Heiji said, "That's your friend the science nerd, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'll investigate him!" proclaimed Heiji. "Where does he live?"

Conan told him the address, warned him to be careful, and hung up.

Heiji immediately went out to scout Mitsuhiko's house. He noticed that the house was rather large, and he lived there with his parents and his older sister, who was a teenager. He noticed that one window was left open a crack, and he planned to use it to get inside later. He then went back to the Kudo Mansion.

That night, all four Tsuburayas went out to eat, and Heiji took his chance. He'd left a small video camera across the street with a live feed, and he'd been watching the house. He then went there, slipped inside, and started poking around. He found Mitsuhiko's bedroom pretty quickly, and started looking around. The closet turned up nothing, as did the dresser. Heiji was glad the room was somewhat messy, since he didn't have to worry about being such a neat freak like he'd had to be earlier.

Suddenly, he spotted Mitsuhiko's backpack leaning on a wall. He opened it, and quickly found what he'd been looking for: the disguise. He still didn't find the voice mask, but he took a quick picture of the evidence with his phone, replaced everything, and slipped back out.

After he was some distance away, he called Kazuha and told her to meet him at the Detective Agency. He then headed there himself.

Upon arriving, he then proceeded to tell everyone what he'd discovered, and used the photo he took as evidence. Conan was _furious_.

"How _dare_ she treat me like this! After everything I've done!" He ranted for about five minutes, ignoring Ran's attempts to calm him down.

Ran suddenly said, "I'll talk to Ai-chan about all this. Hopefully I'll get her to stop."

Conan doubted it, but he reasoned it was better than _him_ getting ahold of her, so he consented. Heiji and Kazuha returned to Osaka, their job done, and Conan went to sleep feeling much better, since he knew now that he _wasn't_ crazy.

* * *

><p>I should be able to finish publishing this story, as it only has around two more chapters or so. I could make it longer, but I feel as if I've dragged it on long enough, and it's time for Conan and Ayumi to get down to business. Next up, Conan takes care of Haibara, but how will he do it without breaking her heart?<p>

Also, I submitted a comment to my own story to give people a chance to PM me if they choose to do so, if you don't like reviewing.


	15. Influencing Ai Haibara

Now for Haibara to get what she deserves! I thought up something interesting to solve the problem!

* * *

><p>Chapter Fifteen<p>

The next morning, Conan and Ran decided to come up with a plan. They decided that Conan should pretend to still be paranoid, so as to not let Ai know that they knew about her plan.

They decided to try the guilt factor to make Ai quit, and Ran called Hakase's to start it off.

Hakase picked up, "Hello?"

"Hakase, it's Ran-desu."

"Oh, Ran-kun! Did you need something?"

"Actually, Conan-kun's been feeling kind of, well…scared lately."

"What do you mean scared?"

"A lot of people have claimed he's done things, but he doesn't have any memories of doing them. He thinks he was somewhere else every time."

"I don't really know what to say, Ran-kun. It's not really like him to be scared like that, or even to lose his memory. Maybe Ai-kun has an idea." He called Ai to come to the phone, and a minute later she picked up.

"Who is this?"

"Ran-desu, Ai-chan!"

"Ran-san." Ai responded politely, "what do you need with me?"

"I was just wondering if you knew anything about why Conan-kun's acting so weird."

"Weird? How so? He looked happy on the playground Friday. Did something happen?"

"Well, Conan-kun says he wasn't even _on_ the playground Friday. He thinks he's losing his mind!"

Ai was shocked at this. She hadn't anticipated this at all. Maybe she'd gone a little too overboard with the whole thing. So she asked, "Would it be all right for me to come over and check up on him?"

This was what Ran had wanted all along, so she said, "It's alright with me, I guess. And Conan-kun would probably appreciate it, too. So we'll see you in twenty minutes, then?"

After getting a confirmation, the little girl hung up, and Ran and Conan grinned at each other, ready to start part two of 'Get Back at Haibara'. Twenty minutes later, Ai arrived. Ran let her in, and Ai went to see Conan. He was sitting on the couch in the lower office, and was looking very twitchy.

Ai, looking at him, asked, quietly, "Kudo-kun? Are you OK?"

Conan blurted out, "No, I'm not OK! My life has events in them I've no recollection of doing, and everyone hates me now! They're all out to get me!" He hugged himself tightly to add to the effect, and slowly started rocking back and forth.

Ai looked at him sadly. He was a nervous wreck, and it was all her fault. If only she hadn't taken Ayumi away from him! And now both Ayumi and Conan were paying the price. She realized then that she would be a lot happier with the two of them together than to see Conan like this: a strong boy turned into a frightened kitten.

She also knew she couldn't bail on her plan, or give away she'd tricked him, since he'd hate her for all eternity. So she said, "Edogawa-kun, I'll talk to Ayumi-chan for you. If she makes you happy, then who am I to force you to take me places? Forget about all that and go back to her!"

Conan looked up and said, "Haibara, why do you help me so much? You don't get anything out of it."

She just smiled at him, gently, and said, "Helping you and seeing who you are becoming is the greatest gift I could ever give or receive. That's why I help you so much."

She took out her phone and sent a quick message to Mitsuhiko and Genta, one each. It said,

_Plan called off. Return costume at earliest convenience. _

_Haibara_

She then sent a message to Ayumi.

_I'm sorry, Ayumi-chan. Make Edogawa-kun happy for me._

_Haibara Ai_

She then got up and said, "Edogawa-kun, good luck!" She realized now that she'd never have a shot, and she needed to just let him go. She smiled gently at him and said, "I'd best be going. You'd best go and do what you need to do, too."

Ai left and Ran watched her go through the window. Then she turned to Conan and said, "I think she's sincere. You shouldn't have any more problems."

Conan had quit acting miserable by now, and simply said, "Yeah. I'd better go tell Ayumi-chan, then." He got up and left, heading to Ayumi's apartment.

* * *

><p>A happy ending! But it's not the end of the story yet; there's one more chapter! (And maybe an epilogue.) Three guesses what the last chapter will be about! *glares at whoever has no clue* Anticipate it in a little over 24 hours!<p> 


	16. The Truth Between Conan and Ayumi

Final chapter! Originally, this was going to be two chapters, (a normal one and an epilogue) but the epilogue turned out to be really short, so I added it in here so people wouldn't kill me. I would like to thank everybody who reviewed this story and gave positive comments, especially Ayumi Kudou! Many thanks, and your guess was almost right on the nose!

* * *

><p>Chapter Sixteen<p>

Conan went to Ayumi's, feeling much more cheerful than he'd felt the day before. He stopped by a local gift shop to pick up a beautiful necklace for her, since he hadn't been able to give his last gift to her, and continued the rest of the way there.

Ayumi was crying in her room when the doorbell rang. She didn't want to talk to anybody, but no one else was home, and the person didn't seem to want to leave, so she got up and went to see who it was. She hadn't received Ai's message yet, since she didn't want any contact from anyone.

"Who is it?" she asked, hiding the fact she wanted them to leave.

"It's Conan-desu. May I come in?"

"No! Why are you even here? Why aren't you on a date with Ai-chan?"

"Ayumi-chan, if you let me in, I'll explain everything. Please?" Conan was practically begging now.

Ayumi thought about it, and decided to let him in, if only to hear him out. "Fine. Come in, then, if you must." She unlocked the door, and Conan soon entered.

Ayumi went in the living room, and Conan soon followed. They sat in chairs facing each other, and waited in silence.

Ayumi finally spoke up, "Conan-kun, why are here, anyway?"

Conan sighed, "It's a long story. The truth is, I never tried to go out with Haibara. It was all a hoax perpetrated by others."

Ayumi looked up, stunned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean someone dressed up as me in order to make you mad at me. They wanted me for themselves. Then they met up with Haibara and somehow convinced her to play along. So, I've never been on a date with Haibara, nor did I say romantic stuff to her on the playground Friday."

"What about that bracelet, then? You were planning to give it to Ai-chan, weren't you?"

"No, I was actually planning to give it to someone else. When Haibara confronted me that day, I offered it as a peace offering, but she didn't take it. When she stormed off, I couldn't give the bracelet to the person I wanted to give it to anymore, because they would've thought they were a substitute."

Ayumi was starting to cool off a little from her anger and sadness. But she was curious about something. "Who was the bracelet for then?"

"…Ayumi-chan, it was for…for you." It was hard for him to say, but he did it anyways.

Ayumi was speechless. That bracelet had been for her? It had looked expensive. So why?

"Why, Conan-kun? Why? Why would anyone try to trick you like that?"

"They tried to trick me because they saw I loved someone else, and not them. So they got a bunch of people together and set up an elaborate scheme to make the girl I loved jealous enough to leave me and not give me the time of day anymore."

"Did it work, then?"

"Yeah. She did get jealous. It made me think I was going crazy, too, since Haibara was making me think I was with her when I _knew_ I wasn't."

"Then shouldn't you go tell her it was a trick? Shouldn't you say that you had nothing to do with it? You should go tell her the truth, that you love her!" Ayumi figured that if Conan was talking to her about this, then the girl he loved wasn't her.

Conan just smiled and said, "Maybe I should. Thanks, Ayumi-chan." He stood up, and Ayumi fully expected him to leave. Instead, he walked up in front of her. He took a box out of his pocket and held it out to her.

Ayumi, curious, opened it. Inside was a necklace. It was simple, but elegant, and Ayumi loved it immediately, and she loved even more that Conan had given it to her. She asked, "Conan-kun, why are you giving me this?"

Conan took a deep breath, as if he was preparing himself, and said, "The reason I'm giving it to you, Ayumi-chan is because the girl I love is…is you."

Ayumi was thunderstruck. She wasn't sure she'd heard him right, but his red face, flustered, proved to her she had. "You…love…me?" Ayumi squeaked out.

Conan just smiled and said, "I do, Ayumi-chan. I have for a while. That's why this whole business made me so sad, because I thought you'd never listen to me again."

Ayumi just sat there, holding the necklace, listening to him talk. Then she patted the couch beside her and said, "Sit down, Conan-kun." Conan did, and he took the necklace and put it on her.

Then Ayumi looked at Conan and said, "Thank you, Conan," and kissed him. The fact he didn't back away proved to her that his confession was sincere, and she was happy for it. They broke apart, and Ayumi said, "Conan, you probably already know this, but I…I love you, too!"

Conan just grinned, and he put his arms around her and they went back to kissing.

* * *

><p>Epilogue<p>

From that point forward, they officially became 'the married couple', and were known as such for the rest of their school careers, until they grew up and married for real.

After having Conan for a boyfriend, Ayumi forgave the other three for tricking her and Conan like that, and they all gave her their blessings, when they saw how happy she was with Conan.

Ran eventually married Masato, and Ai married Mitsuhiko, since she'd 'dated' him a few times while he was in disguise, and eventually warmed up to him. And of course, Genta warmed to Maria, too.

There were no more incidents, and everyone was happy for everybody else, forever and ever.

* * *

><p>This is the official end to this story. I completely enjoyed writing it, and I might write more fics with Conan and Ayumi in the future. I know the epilogue is short, but I didn't really know what to say, besides what I've already written. So again, many thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, and responded in some way, shape, or form!<p>

-CoolKid94


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